Lakeville Area Public Schools — Transcript
Tuesday, January 27, 2026
Story
School board phases out weighted grades for AP courses
Teacher Contract Negotiations & Support
District Financial Health & EML Provision
Elementary Art Teacher Staffing
School Calendar Updates 2026-2027
Wellness Policy 533 Discussion (First Reading)
District Budget and Financial Performance
Temporary Educational Plan for Student Attendance
Votes (3)
Approval of Consent Agenda (excluding items G, I, J)
Dissent: None
Moved by Tony Rankenberger [0:27:54] · Seconded by Matt Swanson [0:28:09]
The board approved the majority of the consent agenda items, which included board minutes, employment recommendations, payment of bills, acceptance of gift donations, an extended field trip, early graduation requests, and policy reviews (502 and 526 were removed). Discussion primarily focused on clarifications for the 2026-2027 school calendars, specifically regarding scheduling non-student days around elections and maintaining consistent quarter lengths.
Approval of Policy 620: Credit for Learning (Second Reading)
Dissent: Brian Thompson [1:23:09]
Moved by Matt Swanson [1:21:46] · Seconded by Karly Anderson [1:21:55]
The board considered and approved Policy 620, which phases out weighted grades for students entering 9th grade starting in the upcoming fall. Discussion included concerns about potential negative impacts on students during the transition phase, the fairness of class rank calculations under the existing system, and the need for increased concurrent enrollment opportunities to keep students within the district if AP incentives are reduced. A motion to amend the policy to include a 90-day deadline for a concurrent enrollment timeline was not seconded.
Discussion of JPA for School Wellness (Statewide Health Improvement Program Grant)
Director Thompson questioned the 'youth leadership program' component of the grant, where 4th and 5th graders would monitor peers during recess, suggesting it might not address the core issue of insufficient adult supervision. Principal Do defended the program, explaining its role within a PBIS framework to teach positive student interactions in unstructured environments and to supplement adult supervision, given current student-to-adult ratios.
Notable Quotes (7)
I do want to just just double check in the November of 2026. We've got a couple days off and I apologize... Could you provide some clarity because I know um the minor change was that we've got Tuesday off which is uh November 3rd um and then we've got Monday off which is November 9th and just wondering if there's an opportunity to move the 9th to the 2nd so that kids just have two days off so that there's somewhat sort of consistency.
we would have no students on site during the elections. Um we have historically not had students in the buildings on a general election. Um but we've heard from the community uh frequently enough that uh we are trying to move um non- studentent contact days away from any type of election day.
One of the main reasons is that students are um uh partaking in many different types of um advanced learning opportunities... but only at the moment AP is giving um extra credit. And so by eliminating that um it would uh standardize all the all the courses.
I spoke with a child or a student. He has a 3.93 GPA and he's the 109th best student in his class in his senior year. And so that seems kind of odd.
I'd love to see a timetable like where we at, how long this is going to take. Um and we have other districts around us that have a full offering of concurrent enrollment.
Are we trying to solve a problem with a different solution, but we're not solving the root problem? Because the root problem is we don't have enough adult supervision during playground time.
One thing is, you know, depending on the size of your grade level, uh, at Lake Mary, and I'll use that as the example, we have 100 students in kindergarten, but we have 136 students in our fourth grade. Um, often supervised by two or three new and supervisors depending on the grade level. Um, that is a pretty thin, you know, amount of adults to student ratio, but it's just the way, it's just the system that we work within.
Ordinances & Resolutions (10)
Policy concerning search of student lockers, desks, personal possessions, and students' person, pulled from consent agenda for separate consideration.
Policy concerning hazing prohibition, pulled from consent agenda for separate consideration.
District wellness policy, presented for its first reading and discussion regarding updates to meet statutory and guideline requirements.
Policy concerning credit for learning, revised to phase out weighted grades for incoming 9th-grade students.
Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP) grant, pulled from consent agenda for discussion on its implementation, specifically a recess framework and youth leadership program.
State mandate requiring changes to reading curriculum and professional development for teachers.
Audit conducted on the district's policies, used as a guideline for policy reviews and updates.
Federal guidelines influencing the district's wellness policy.
State statute pertaining to online instructional opportunities, referenced in the context of the temporary educational plan.
US Supreme Court case referenced regarding the legal obligation to provide access to public education, especially for students dealing with temporary absences.